Kurt Walker bowed out of the World Elites at the quarter-final stage to Tsendbaater Erdenebat in Ekaterinburg, Russia.
A fiery battle between the current European champion and the 2018 Asian Games titlist ended on a unanimous decision to the Mongolian southpaw.
Scores – 30-27,30-27,30-27,29-28,29-28.
At his most effective when he closed down space, Erdenebat took the first but Walker responded strongly in the second and clearly staggered his opponent with a flashing right in the punch of the three-rounder.
The Antrim featherweight followed that up with several shots but Erdenebat kept his shape and continued to respond.
The third was equally as tight, with neither man dominating the final stanza of a full-blooded and up-tempo contest the result of which brings Ireland’s competitive interest in the 77-nation tournament to a close.
Today’s win guarantees Erdenebat, a quarter-finalist at Rio 2016, at least bronze.
The semi-finals and finals will be held on Friday and Saturday at the 20th edition of the World Men’s Elite Championships.
2019 World Elite Men’s Championships Ekaterinburg, Russia
September 18
Q/Final
57kg Kurt Walker (Ireland) lost to Tsendbaater Erdenebat (Mongolia) 0-5
September 17
Last 16
57kg Kurt Walker (Ireland) beat Robin Basran (Canada) 5-0
September 16
Last 32
69kg Aidan Walsh (Ireland) lost to Pat McCormack (England) 2-3
Last 16
75kg Michael Nevin (Ireland) lost to Gleb Bakshi (Russia) 2-3
September 15
Last 32
57kg Kurt Walker beat David Avila (Columbia) 4-1
91kg Kiril Afanasev (Ireland) lost to Radoslav Panaleev (Bulgaria)1-4
September 14
Last 32
75kg Michael Nevin (Ireland) beat Vytautas Balsys (Lithuania) 5-0
September 13
Last 64
69kg Aidan Walsh (Ireland) beat Miroslav Kapuler-Cishchenko (Israel) 4-1
September 12
Last 64
52kg Regan Buckley (Ireland) lost to Aldoms Suquor (Indonesia) 2-3
63kg Wayne Kelly (Ireland) lost to Matthew Alexander (Trinidad & Tobago) 2-3
September 10
Last 64
81kg Kane Tucker (Ireland) lost to Erkin Adylbek (Kyrgyzstan) 0-5
91kg Kiril Afanasev (Ireland) beat Austin Aokuso (Australia) 5-0
September 9
Last 64
75kg Michael Nevin (Ireland) beat Andre Vreme (Moldova) 5-0
Irish squad
52kg: Regan Buckley (St Teresa’s)
57kg: Kurt Walker (Canal)
63kg: Wayne Kelly (Portlaoise)
69kg: Aidan Walsh (Monkstown)
75kg: Michael Nevin (Portlaoise)
81kg: Kane Tucker (Emerald)
91kg: Kiril Afanasev (Smithfield)
High-Performance Director: Bernard Dunne
Head coach: Zaur Antia
Coaches: John Conlan and Eoin Pluck
(B)
